Wednesday, April 30, 2014

And as secrets have a way of doing, it’s complicating her hopes at having a normal life. However, when your father’s the head of the Russian mafia and your life is in constant danger, normalcy is far from the norm. It’s only after she meets her father’s prized fighter that she discovers that some secrets are worth keeping.

Murdoch knows he’s only a possession.

Having been saved and raised by the head of the Russian mafia, Murdoch has accepted his place in society. Now, he is a cold and ruthless killer and feels nothing, no hope, and no love.

That is, until he comes face-to-face with Natalie and finds something more worth fighting for.

Wedding planner to the rich and famous, Amy Oliver isn't the kind of woman to take a break even on a vacation. No, business first and then comes pleasure—or maybe not—she’d have to check her schedule.

When Amy selects to take a once-in-a-lifetime adventure to New Zealand, she finds herself using the trip to put her career first. But when life gets in the way of her work, she is forced to decide whether to follow the path of least resistance or forge a new path--a path that may lead to heartache as easily as love. What is a driven woman to do?

While she waited in the New Zealand hotel’s bar for her assistant, Amy Oliver’s thoughts wandered to Jason. After a long day like this, she used to slip her fingers into his as soon as she sank into their bed. His fingers would collapse around hers, as if they had waited all day for her presence. Yet, the longer she held his hand, no matter how hard or how light her grip, the less and less she had felt his touch. Before long, just as she had lost the feeling of his fingers night after night, she had lost his love—even though their skins had been pressed together.

The bar around her was almost empty except for a couple who sat in the shadows. Amy took a long drink from the glass of Chardonnay and sat it back down on the bar. Droplets of condensation pooled where her fingers had pressed against the glass. Love in a touch. Love lost in that same touch. It all depended on the force. How right they had been.

Why hadn’t she listened?

The Chardonnay tasted harsh and dry, but it was nothing compared to the Arctic chill that had invaded her core.

“You ready, Amy?” Her assistant, Honeysuckle, called from the door of the hotel lounge. A large binder was stuffed against her blood-red business suit, like it was the only life preserver in a sea filled with sharks.

What parent in their right mind would name their daughter Honeysuckle?

The woman perched on the tips of her Choo’s like she was ready to pirouette across the bar. Her red hair was pulled back with one perfect little curl framing her face. No matter the amount of hairspray or thousand dollar suits, Honeysuckle still carried the shame of an overly sweet-scented name that must have been given to her by a tribe of left-over lovechildren.

“Come on!” Honeysuckle made her way across the bar, unaware of the interruption she caused in Amy’s pity party. “The wedding starts tomorrow and the florist says they’re running late with a shipment. The orchids won’t be arriving until tomorrow morning and now he’s saying that there’s no way he can get all forty-seven arrangements completed before six.”

Amy dipped her finger in the pool of condensation on her wine glass and licked it from her fingertip. Her chance at love may have come and gone, but that didn’t mean she could ignore the ignorant bliss of those who paid her to fantasize about theirs. Happy hour was officially over.

Danica Winters is a bestselling author who is known for writing award-winning books that grip readers with their ability to drive emotion through suspense and often a touch of magic. She is also the Assistant Editor for Books To Go Now Publishing.

When she’s not working she can be found in the wilds of Montana working on her patience while she tries to understand the allure of various crafts (quilting, pottery, and painting are not her thing). She always believes the cup is neither half full nor half empty, but it better be filled with wine.

Laila Byrne made a final promise to her friend. She will travel more and work less. After sticking a pin in a map of the world, she heads off to Ireland.

Laila's trip doesn't work out as planned, but the mix-up results in a chance encounter with a handsome Irishman, Alasdair.

Alasdair spends all his waking hours trying to figure out how to keep his family’s century old pub, The Empress of Ireland, open for business. He doesn’t have time for anything. But when the lovely American comes across his path, will he find time?

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Being happy. It sounds so simple. Yet, it seems that it’s always just out of reach for Shannon Ryan.After serving overseas for six years as a female United States Marine, Ryan is finally getting out the military. But coming home to live with her biker brother and his motorcycle club is more difficult than she thought it would be. Much has changed in the years that she has been gone, including Ellis, her brother’s best friend and childhood crush.Ellis 'Dirty' Crane is the second in command for Tormented Souls Motorcycle Club. The only thing he lives for is the club, that is until Ryan comes home, no longer the wild little girl that followed him around. The two things standing in his way of getting what he wants are Patrick, Ryan's brother and leader of the club, and Jeremiah, Ryan’s boyfriend. Can Ellis break through Ryan’s walls? Burn them and Jeremiah down? Prove to her brother that he’s the right man for her? Or is Ryan hiding more than she’s letting on?

Rachael is a stay at home mom with 2 young daughters and a husband that keep her constantly on her toes. She lives in the extremely hot state of Arizona, where she reads and writes away the blistering heat outside. She is a cancer survivor with a quirky personality. She’s been an avid reader for as long as she can remember and been writing since she was in high school. Her hopes of being a writer were crushed when she was young but one day she decided she was going to do what makes her happy and that was to write.

For Rose, the move to London is supposed to be a fresh start. With her best friend Faye in tow, she is ready to start a new chapter in her life.

Moving in with her godmother, Flo, and her two sons, Rose is set to begin her new life. But the future holds more surprises than she bargained for…

Rose soon discovers a darker side to London, a secret that has been hidden for centuries, a world that she, too, is a part of. Unexpected friendships are forged and unwanted, sometimes dangerous, attractions flare.

London becomes a playground for magic, danger and supernatural threats. While her life, and those of who she loves, hangs in the balance, she must endeavor to embrace her new nature and assist in identifying the hidden danger before it succeeds in its dark purpose.

I received an
electronic copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

You’ve
heard the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover?” This book is proof that
saying is very true. The cover leaves a
lot to be desired, BUT I soon got into the story!

When Rose, who has survived a vicious
mugging and her best friend Faye packed up and moved to London, she knew her
life was going to change. She had no
clue how much. Living with her godmother, Flo, Roman, and Erin and teaching
self-defense classes at an up and coming gym seems like a dream come true. When Rose meets Roman, his pack of friends,
and his girlfriend, Thistle, Rose finds she loves the constant witty, back and
forth, good-natured joking that goes on.
Roman and Thistle have an open relationship…..will Rose take the bait?
Girl’s Night Out proves to be more than Rose bargained for, because out of the
shadows her destiny changed.

Wonderful characters, and on the
edge of your seat read! WARNING though,
have Crimson Darkness ready to go before you finish this one…

1. GOODBYE FOR NOW

Rose stood in the bedroom doorway, shoulder propped against the door frame, thumbs tucked into the pockets of her low-riseLevis. She cocked her head, watching Greg’s backside moving back and forth like an overactive piston.

Had it always been that hairy?

She cleared her throat. “I guess you’re busy,” she said, “maybe I should pop back later.”

The piston halted and Greg practically threw himself off his bed partner as if she were an unwanted hot potato. “Fuck! Rose! Fuck!”

“Yeah, I can see that,” Rose said.

“What are you…I mean, when did you-”

“Get here?” she glanced casually at her wristwatch. “About five minutes ago.”

She noticed him surreptitiously pull the bedspread up to cover his crotch. “What are you doing here?” he asked.

“I thought I’d surprise you.” She pushed herself off the door frame sauntering into the room. “I guess I succeeded.”

A petite five foot four, with the elfin doe-eyed features of a Manga sketch topped with long golden hair, Rose didn’t look like a threat. In fact, she was pretty certain that she would have been cast as the lead in any production of ‘Legally Blonde’ on looks alone, but the tussled brunette, frozen on the bed, saw something in Rose’s sapphire gaze that galvanized her into action. She shot off the bed making a grab for a pair of lacy red underwear on the floor.

“Sit!” Rose said.

The brunette froze, her fingers mere inches from the lacy garment that would cover her Brazilian-waxed bits. Yeah, Rose wished she’d missed that bit.

Rose smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. “Please don’t leave on my account. This won’t take more than a minute.” She strode casually to the bedside cabinet on the brunette’s side of the bed, and felt her shrink away. Ignoring her she began to rummage inside.

Greg pulled on his boxers. “What are you doing?”

“Getting my stuff.” She pulled out a couple of paperbacks, her overnight cosmetics bag and her hardback copy of ‘The Kama Sutra’. It felt tacky and sticky. Rose cracked it open and frowned. “You got spunk stains on my book.” She threw the book onto the bed wiping her hands on her jeans. She shoved the rest of her stuff into her backpack, which lay on the floor by the bedside table. Swinging the pack onto her shoulder she headed for the door. She felt Greg behind her, his breath hot on the nape of her neck.

“What, so that’s it? You’re just gonna leave?” He made a grab for her shoulder and she shrugged him off.

“Threesomes are really not my thing,” she said and carried on down the hallway. She needed to get out of here quick before…

“This is all your fault you know!”

She paused, hand on the banister. Now this she had to hear. She turned to face him.

He had his arms crossed across his broad chest, tanned and speckled with dark hair. She had loved lying on that chest. Her eyes traveled up to settle on his face. He wore his favourite expression– smug. “Enlighten me.”

He shrugged, “If you’d put out more often this would never have happened. A man has needs you know, and you’re always busy-”

And then he was on the floor clutching his nose. Rose blinked staring at her fist, feeling the anger, which had erupted so suddenly, dissipate. The roaring in her ears subsided and she heard Greg whimper.

“Wha…Wha ya do tha fa?”

Some questions don’t deserve a response.

Rose turned on her heel and walked away.

Amos Cassidy - a team of two from the UK.

Amos is a 29 year old Diva.

Cassidy?... Well, she's a 36 year old mum of three.

Aside from a passion for writing and a love of reading they also share an addiction to coffee, love anything Joss Whedon and are constantly playing tug of war over Jensen Ackles. They have been writing together for four years and and have two series - The Crimson Series (three books so far) and The Rain Series (one book so far with the second coming soon).